Explosive Indian opener Virender Sehwag and distinguished coach Ramakant Achrekar are among the six sporting personalities who are selected for the Padma Shri awards. The 31-year-old Sehwag is considered arguably the most devastating opener in contemporary cricket with more than 13000 international runs under his belt. The Delhi dasher was also honoured with the Arjuna award in 2002. Ramakant Achrekar has contributed to Indian cricket in a big way by giving the country a champion batsman like Sachin Tendulkar. He is the first coach to be selected for the prestigious award.

Reacting to Sehwag's selection for the award, Tendulkar said the Delhi player has made immense contribution in the improved performance of the team over the last 10 years. "Sehwag has made a terrific impact on the next generation and he truly deserves to be conferred with the Padma Shri. "To be honoured with Padma Shri is a terrific achievement. I think his achievements have been appreciated (by the government). He's a wonderful player to have in the team and has been a consistent performer for the past 10 years," Tendulkar said.